WhyBike Motorcycle Blog

I was picking up some parts for securing my ignition, parts that only the dealer in Hayward, CA carries. As I was there I was exiting a weird looking bike caught my eye. They had a Blue 2009 Kawasaki Versys on the floor. I have been looking at the bike for a while but have never seen it in person because Kawasaki was taking its time conforming to the nation leading air standards we have in California. So I climbed aboard and really liked how it felt under me. With a 32 inch inseam I was not flat-footing it, but just barely. I believe with my thicker soled motorcycle boots that I would be able to. The position in the saddle was nice and neutral, legs underneath and knees bent comfortably. What I noticed most about the difference between the position of my ZR-7S and the Versys was how far up the handlebars are but I can’t really comment on this until I ride the bike. In person I got what the Kawi engineers were going for. It seems like it is being pulled in three directions. A little motard, a little sporttbike, and a hint of touring thrown in for good measure. The only oddity was the size of the front tire. It looks very small compared to the bikes next to it but again I can’t comment on what this does to the fell of the bike until I ride one.

I am not sure when I will ride one. If I want to get serious about getting a Versys I will have to sell one of my Yamaha and if I really want a all in one bike I will have to sell my Kawi as well. I will probably wait until I start seeing them used and pick up a gently broken in unit. Let me know your experiences with the Versys in the comment form below: